The Beale Papers         The Beale treasure story is described in a 23-page pamphlet entitled The Beale Papers, published by James B. Ward, Lynchburg, Virginia, in 1885.    The Beale Papers tells the story of a party of 30 Virginians led by Thomas J. Beale who in 1817 ventured west on a hunting expedition. While hunting, they accidentally discovered gold near Pike's Peak, in present-day Colorado. The gold was brought back to the U.S. and buried in Bedford County, Virginia.    In case the party should meet with some catastrophe on the open plains, Beale left a locked box in the care of Robert Morriss of Lynchburg, which contained papers explaining Beale's enterprise, as well as three unintelligible papers, which could be read only with the required key that would reach Mr. Morriss ten years later. According to Beale, the decoded papers would state the contents of the depository, with its exact location, and a list of the names in Beale's party together with the names and places of residence or the relatives and others to whom they devised their respective portions. Beale's three ciphers are commonly referred to as B1, B2, and B3.    A Brief History of the Beale Papers is provided for those interested in reading more about this intriguing mystery.    The website also deals with several issues of greatest concern and on the minds of every person interested in the treasure story, viz.    The website contains a list of common misconceptions about the treasure story.    It also contains a list of the most common arguments against the treasure story, together with their counterarguments, which are explained in great detail.    It presents evidence to show that Beale Ciphers No.1 and No. 3 are genuine,    And, it presents evidence to answer the question "Is the Beale treasure story true?"

Front Cover of Ward's Pamphlet

Is the Treasure Story Worth Reading and Possibly Investigating?    In my opinion the answer is yes.      The treasure story means different things to different people. Some call it an absorbing mystery that makes very good reading. Others are interested in finding a way to decode cipher No. 1, which contains a set of directions to Beale's vault. To these interested readers, the ciphers are a puzzle, or an enigma, with the potential for a very big payoff—if a solution to the ciphers can be found. At $1419 dollars per ounce (April 15, 2013), Beale's 2921 pounds of gold has a value of about 66 million dollars.      We have one item in our "bag of tricks" that was unavailable to residents of Lynchburg and the surrounding area, who purchased copies of Ward's pamphlet in 1885. We have inexpensive, high-speed computers that can be brought to bear on the problem. And, this should not be underestimated.         The storyline, as given in the Beale Papers, spans a period of almost 70 years and it fits well with known history. It can be comprehended and assimilated, without difficulty. Many people simply enjoy the "chase" by trying to find information about the people, places and events connected to, or part of the storyline. Much searching can be done via the Internet. And, more and more information is being made available every day, which is certain to continue.       According to some, the Beale treasure story is either one of the most clever and diabolical hoaxes ever perpetrated on mankind or it is one of the greatest challenges yet to be conquered by man or computer, and proven true.      I think you will agree that no one wishes to spend time investigating a treasure story known or believed to be a hoax. Many people argue that the Beale treasure story IS a hoax, notwithstanding the fact that no one has yet provided any proof of this. Some arguments are just plain nonsense; others are well-founded. Many sound pretty convincing. Yet, I have found that upon careful examination, substantive counterarguments can be found. In fact, evidence exists arguing that the treasure story is true. The counterarguments, as well as the evidence supporting the truth of the treasure story, are given on this website. In my opinion, the evidence "tips the scales" in favor of the truth of the story.     I also think that no one wishes to invest their time investigating a treasure story, for which the treasure has, or is believed to have already been located and removed. Some people claim to have solved the ciphers. But the so-called solutions, by well-intentioned people, are unfortunately nearly always nothing more than ramblings or nonsense. In any case, there is no consensus that a valid solution has so far been developed.        So why spend time reading, thinking about, and perhaps even investigating the Beale treasure story? Beale put it quite well when he said "the game is worth the candle." As I say, just reading the treasure story can be worth your while. But, you may discover something about the treasure story not yet known or yet perceived by others, and thus you may add to the body of accumulated evidence that will ultimately lead to a solution to the ciphers or to the recovery of the treasure. You might be lucky enough to find a way to break Beale's ciphers. That would certainly be an accomplishment worthy of great distinction. You might even be fortunate enough to locate Beale's vault and perhaps even lucky enough to find that the treasure is still locked away there. Can you imagine how that might feel.    The eminent cryptologist William F. Friedman investigated the Beale treasure story for many years. He tried his best to find a solution to Beale's ciphers. But he met with no success. Friedman, who was attached to the U.S. Army Signal Corps, taught a course on cryptography to its members as part of an internal education program. It is said that Friedman would give a copy of the Beale ciphers to his students as an exercise. Friedman believed that fresh, uncluttered thinking by someone very new to the subject might be the crucial ingredient needed to solve the ciphers. That same axiom is still true today—someone readng the treasure story may discover a crucial piece of information that permits the mystery to be solved.